Project Cleaning the Clutter in Our Engine Bay

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by Synner

Power steering pump bracket: 12610792
MSRP: $18.98

Legal disclaimer: Looked up as 2011 LS3, no guarantees the L99 part is the same without independent third party verification. Although it should be the same...
And if you have electric steering this part doesn't exist on your car. You have a goofy idler pulley gizmo.

That the technical term?

[Synner]

I love me some jargon.

[The Blue Ox]

Nathen, in your first photo, looks like there is a small jog out on the right side where the plugs plug into the black housing! Is it possible to stick a very small screwdriver or something down in there and push it to the left to release? Only a guess. Hope tou get it resolved!

[Moreno1]

Thanks guys for all the input! Kinda sucks that it's hold off progress but what are you going to do..........

[Ace1USMC]

Nathan, I removed a plug similar to that - but can't remember for the life of me where. It was either on the Camaro or on the Silverado - but regardless, I was able to remove it by sticking a dental pick down on one side. There's a tiny catch, and pushing the catch to the outside of the plug on one side released it, and it popped right out. The sharp end of the pick needs to be inserted between the plug, and the receptacle. If it's the same kind of plug, that should be how it's removed.

[Moreno1]

Success!

[LC]

[kevint]

[Moreno1]

Guys, after that ordeal, I feel like taking a bow, LOL!


Got a lot of work done today.

1. Removed the sub-frame
2. Removed the steering rack
3. Welded some more holes
4. Made a filler plate and welded in to cover the 7 inch hole on the shock tower
5. Skim coated areas that needed addressing
6. Gave the bay its first coat of filler primer
7. Removed the heat shield and grind off the four stubs

I felt there was no need for the shock tower to have the over lap. It's just a production thing. So I grinded off the lower lip.



Much cleaner now.




While I was at it, I cleaned the stop weld in the wheel wells. I know nobody will ever see it but thats just me, LOL




I also finish off the inside of the well where the plate was welded




First coat of primer. Starting to get there but still have a lot of work to do.



Next week will be exciting! I have something coming in that will make working the underside of the car a lot easier........

[The Blue Ox]

Well, we know you got it done Nathen, but How? What was the deal???

[572HP]

Yeah...just leave us hangin! How'd the connector come off?

Either you have a lift coming, or you have one of those car rotisseries. I have a 4-post, mostly for storage, and it comes in very handy working on the cars. Would love to have a 2-post also, as it makes a lot of things much easier.

[LC]

max jax?

[Moreno1]

Originally Posted by The Blue Ox

Well, we know you got it done Nathen, but How? What was the deal???

Originally Posted by 572HP

Yeah...just leave us hangin! How'd the connector come off?

Either you have a lift coming, or you have one of those car rotisseries. I have a 4-post, mostly for storage, and it comes in very handy working on the cars. Would love to have a 2-post also, as it makes a lot of things much easier.

Sorry guys, didn't mean to leave you guys hangin. Just trying to get as much work done as possible. It's 9:50 PM and I just walked out of the garage.


I'll post pics tomorrow of how the connectors comes apart. Along with some updates.

Originally Posted by LC

max jax?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Moreno1]

Originally Posted by The Blue Ox

Well, we know you got it done Nathan, but How? What was the deal???

Originally Posted by 572HP

Yeah...just leave us hanging! How'd the connector come off?

Either you have a lift coming, or you have one of those car rotisseries. I have a 4-post, mostly for storage, and it comes in very handy working on the cars. Would love to have a 2-post also, as it makes a lot of things much easier.

Sorry guys, didn't mean to leave you guys hanging. Just trying to get as much work done as possible. It was 9:50 PM last night as I walked out of the garage for the night.

I will take a pictures of the connector to show how it came off. It's just that the car is completely covered up from the priming on Saturday. So I can't get in to the interior till I undo the masking.

Originally Posted by LC

max jax?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Quick Update: I dropped off a bunch of stuff at the powder coater today.

These are an in-progress pictures of the trans mount. I forgot to take pictures of it completed, but all the little circles were grounded smooth.



Again, another before pic but no after picture. All the seams and casting were grounded smooth.



Since I am taking the complete suspension apart, I figured I'd detail everything! The one on the right is still in progress. Still need to work on it some more. The red circle on the upright on the left highlights two more humps that I will also be grinding off. The one that has a bolt hole is to mount the back plate for the stock brakes, but since the stock brakes are going, there's no need for the extra ounces of aluminum, LOL... So I'm grinding it off.









Again, still a work in progress. You can see where I have to still remove a little bit of the seams that's left. All the flat parts where the bolts are will be polished to a chrome-like finish and the rest will be painted.




Here you can see a side by side comparison.




It was a hell of a PITA to detach the control arm from the spindle. I took it to my friend's shop from church. We first tried pressing it out but it was a no go.




Finally after several failed attempts, we decided to give it heat and it finally popped.





Received my frame on Friday and all I can say is WOW!!!




My decision to incorporate Pfadt suspension components has forced me to bring every other part of the build to next level. As their pieces are an engineering ART piece.



The level of workmanship is over the top. All the welds are this nice!










Here's a picture of my powder coater's shop. The oven is large enough to do a complete car.



On a side note, received my street tires today, Nitto Invos! that is a lot of meat!